Zumwalt-class destroyer to be named after Lyndon B. Johnson

Ray Mabus, secretary of the U.S. Navy announced Monday that the third Zumwalt-class destroyer will be named after former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States.

Johnson, a larger-than-life Texan who dominated state politics for three decades, was a naval officer who fought in the Pacific during WWII, and after the war sought better conditions for those fighting in the U.S. military.

“I am pleased to honor President Johnson with the naming of this ship,” said Mabus, a former Mississippi governor. “His dedication to a life of public service included bravely stepping forward to fight for his country during our entry into World War II.”

The Zumwalt ships are designed to attack on land, and are about 600 feet long, weigh 15,000 tons and are capable of housing 148 crew members.

The initial construction started on April 4, and the ship is supposed to be finished and ready for use in 2018.